Azkaban
by thatsthehypothesis
Summary: Sirius is in Azkaban, how he gets out and proves he is free is a mystery
1. The First

'James and Lily? How could you Black?' a short, scrawny man was yelling at the top of his voice. I stood there, tears running freely down my cheeks. 'It was you! All _you_ Pettigrew!' the short man shook his head, 'I would never _ever_ do such a thing it-'

'You sold James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort! You told him where to find them! You were their Secret Keeper. Only you _could _tell them… tell Him… why would I do such a thing, huh? Why? He was my best friend, my family!' Pettigrew was cut off by my shout. 'I would never do that. You lying piece of-'I took out my wand, my actions mirrored by him, the traitor. He got there before me. A load bang and an explosion blew out my eardrums, as I saw a flash of silver then he transformed into a rat and scurried down to the sewer. I spat on the floor as the dust settled. The street we had stood in looked like an earthquake had hit it. Rubble was everywhere, the fronts of all the houses blown to pieces by the force of Pettigrew's spell. Muggle bodies lay, scattered among the mess. Unconscious or dead, I didn't know. I didn't want to know. As I stood there, my gaze came upon a man with a slash across his chest. Thick, dark blood seeped from the deep wound. Wormtail had split up another family. Another wife and child waiting for him to come home, only to have a Muggle man to become a bringer of bad news.

A series of loud cracks drew my attention in front of me. Men in black robes had Apperated 10 feet away from me. Five of them advanced forward cautiously while the other two stood leaning against the pole where the sign saying 'City Street' had once been.

I dropped my wand and put my hands above my head in surrender. I knew they were from the Ministry. There was no point trying to escape, it'd only make things worse. I took one step forward, close enough for one of the men to grab my left arm. I relaxed my arms and waited for the other four to pounce and immobilize me. One… two… three… four… fi- there we go. One on my other arm; one behind me, his wand point pressed against my back, I felt it digging into my spine. The other two 'guards' stood in front of me. Their faces the other way so I couldn't see them.

'We have him secure, Sir' one said.

'Good' a superior sounding voice replied. 'Take him straight to Azkaban. Explain to the Dementors he has a life sentence for flouting the Decree of the Secrecy of Wizards and murdering 12 Muggles and a wizard.' I shuddered. The Dementors are the guards of Azkaban. Foul creatures they are. Suck the happiness out of you until all you can remember are your worst memories. Then my mind registered in what else had been said. 'He has a life sentence.' I had no trail, no chance to speak, to defend myself. Not one.

Should I fight now? Maybe. I would escape, but I'd be wanted then. Hunted. Innocent as I may be I will go. I will go so I can die knowing I am innocent.

That. I. Am. Innocent.

I remember being side-long Apperated before passing out.

I woke up in a dark, cold cell with only a hard bench for me to sit, sleep, and live on. 'Better start making changes now!' that's what Lily would've said. Lily. Ah, Lily. She would have been fussing about, cleaning things, like the crumbling walls, the manky floors. But I wouldn't be here if she was. If she was, so would James. James! My best mate! He'd be a wonderful comfort in this hell hole. His jokes would cheer me up. His little anecdotes about school, girls and Harry. Harry. My godson. I only saw him twice. Jokes would cheer me up. His little anecdotes about school, girls and Harry. Harry. My godson. I only saw him twice. He looked so happy. He survived though. I know that. I gave Hagrid my motorbike. He should keep it. I won't need it. Now that I'm here. Forever. And ever. No chance of getting out. Stuck. Trapped. Imprisoned. Like before. At 'home'. With 'mum'. Ugh. Mother. Dearest Walburga Black. She hated me. Loathed me. But not Regulas. Oh, no. not darling Regulas Arcturus. He was the favourite. He joined the Death Eaters. So proud mother was. So happy that her son had joined Him. But then he got himself killed. By Avery. On Voldemort's orders. Apparently got scared and tried to back out. Ha! Served him right. Stupid boy. Joining Them. When he died, mother blamed it on me. How? I have no idea how. But I know why. Thought I should so I could carry on what he had done. Not one chance. We had a blazing row. I just gave up then. Ran away. Left. Lived on my own for a bit. Uncle Alphard helped me financially for a bit. 'Til he died. Poor bloke. Got blown off the family tree for helping me. I did too. Like I care. I hated my family. Still would if I wasn't the only Black left. I hated the lot of them. With their Pure-blood nonsense. The whole stupid pureblood Black family. All stupid. I just don't see the point. I mean everyone's the same. Whether they're pure or half blood. Or even Muggle born. They're the same. I really, really do not see the point.

I felt a cold gust of air outside my cell. Great. I have got used to it being _my cell_ already. I turned my head, but immediately regretted it. Floating outside the barred door was a Dementor. Its face, or whatever it is, was covered by the hood of a cloak which engulfed its body, or whatever was there. Its scaly cracked hands were clutched together. Next to it, stood an expressionless man in black robes. He gave a jerk of the head to motion me forward. I took two steps and reached out for the plain grey bowl in his hands. He wriggled it through the bars and I snatched at it. Starving, I was. Not eaten anything 'til I started looking for Pettigrew. 'Hey Black. Yeh know the man yeh killed?' the man was talking to me as though I was insane. Ha! No yet. Not, quite, yet. 'All they found of him was his finger. _Just one finger_' the wizard held up his hand and motion cutting off his little finger, and then he carried on. 'Yeh didn't just kill him. Yeh _destroyed_ him!' I turned away in disgust. That must have been what the silver flash was. The little asshole must have cut it off! Just before he transformed. Uh… I do hate him. All of a sudden a freezing cold enfolded me. My breath caught in my chest. What little breath I did have left, escaped in short gasps. The cold rush of air swept through my skin. Deeper. So much deeper. It touched my mind. It touched my heart. It touched my soul. It reached out with icy cold fingers. It searched and searched 'til I felt it withdraw. It took with it something of mine. My memories. The light in my dark life. The happiness in my depressing world. The silver from the black. All they took I would never get back again.

Not while I'm here.

Not while I'm here on Dogger Bank.

Not while I'm here in this place.

Not while I'm here in Azkaban.

Not. While. I'm. Here.


	2. The Second

Dark shapes were moving across my eyelids. Silhouettes. I couldn't recognise who they were. I could hear strangled wails of pain. Parts of my life flash before my eyes. James. Lily. Lupin. Pettigrew. Snape. Mother. Regulas. And back again. All of them dark dank and bleary. Then lastly Harry. Harry crying. Him shouting out for his mother and father. In darkness. Then Hagrid is there. He picks him up, and turns to me. 'Yeh alright?' he manages to say. I turn away. My eyes reach my bike. My flying motor bike I enchanted. 'Have my bike Hagrid. Take my motor bike and take Harry to safety. Get him away.' I said. Hagrid gave me a funny look. 'Get on that bike and take Harry away.' I turn around and Hagrid sees my face. He gets astride the motor bike. He looks at me straight in the eye and says. 'I'll give this back yer know.' Then he flies off into the dark blank sky.

I jolted awake. I must not think about bad memories. Dark memories. Not while I'm here. Else I'll go insane. I am innocent. I am innocent. I _am_ innocent. I repeat this over and over again until I have calmed down and recovered from the shock of the dream. I'm not sure whether it is the altitude of my cell in Azkaban or just the Dementors effect on me.

When I had as much as relaxed as I could here, I turned to look outside, expecting it to be light. But no. It is pitch black.

I can hear yells coming from other cells. Mental laughter can be heard faintly from the difference and the quiet swishing of the Dementors' cloaks passing each cell. I stumble toward the barred door, and movement catches my eye. I can see eight figures moving through the night. Well, four of the figures are Dementors; they were escorting four people in tatty robes to cells to the north cells. I glimpsed one woman and two men. The woman's thick dark hair framed her pale complexion. Hooded eyelids covered her dark cold eyes. Her Azkaban clothing covered a thin figure. I recognised her as my cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. A Death Eater. The man had curly, dirty blonde hair, and stood between two of the Dementors, shivering, frequently glancing at his three other captives. One of the other two had dark brown hair, which framed his face, reaching his chin. He looked at ease with his surroundings. The last of them had straw blonde hair, messy and sticking up. Brown eyes looked out from a creamy white face, thin and chiselled, he had the looks of someone who had once been handsome but had be starved and depraved of food and love and comfort.

I looked away, wondering who the other three were and why they had came in. but Bella coming in is no surprise. She always was bad. From the first time I met her when I was seven she has been cruel to everyone she thinks is below her. I close my eyes to remember that first time I ever saw her.

I reversed through time to when I was a young boy. _I was sat in my room wallowing in my sorrows, when my mother's voice came screeching up the stairs. 'OI! YOU! GET DOWN HERE! YOUR COUSINS ARE HERE!' I sighed and tramped down the stairs. At the top of the first flight of stairs I saw ruckus. Trunks, owls and people were all in the entrance hall. The ugly troll's leg coat stand was rolling around, tripping people up. A young girl with a mass of black hair was making her way through the maze of people. 'Move!' she budged Andromeda Tonks out of her way to get to the basement kitchen, where Kreacher was making dinner. Andromeda waved at me, 'hey Sirius! Had a good holiday?' she came up to me and gave me a hug. 'Eeww! Getta room!' Bellatrix had come up from the kitchen and sneered at me and Andromeda. A slightly younger girl stood next to her. She had shockingly platinum blonde hair plaited down her back. Her sharp pale blue eyes were narrowed at me menacingly. Even a head shorter than Bella she still was a scary. 'Come on Bella, let's go and have tea.' Narcissa linked her arm through Bella's and they stalked off down to the kitchen. _

My memory faded as the light enlightened over toward the east illuminating the shadows of the cemetery. The outlines of the stones, roughly marking where previous criminals had died here. I'll be there soon. With them. Under the ground. No longer breathing. No! I can't think like that! I must survive. I must kill Pettigrew. He must die. Crushed. Destroyed. But for that, I need to escape. I need to have the fortitude to withstand the Dementors, the pain and the taunts.

I had to escape.

I have to escape.

I will escape.

Somehow.


	3. The Third

Dark shapes were moving across my eyelids. Silhouettes. I couldn't recognise who they were. I could hear strangled wails of pain. Parts of my life flash before my eyes. James. Lily. Lupin. Pettigrew. Snape. Mother. Regulas. And back again. All of them dark dank and bleary. Then lastly Harry. Harry crying. Him shouting out for his mother and father. In darkness. Then Hagrid is there. He picks him up, and turns to me. 'Yeh alright?' he manages to say. I turn away. My eyes reach my bike. My flying motor bike I enchanted. 'Have my bike Hagrid. Take my motor bike and take Harry to safety. Get him away.' I said. Hagrid gave me a funny look. 'Get on that bike and take Harry away.' I turn around and Hagrid sees my face. He gets astride the motor bike. He looks at me straight in the eye and says. 'I'll give this back yer know.' Then he flies off into the dark blank sky.

I jolted awake. I must not think about bad memories. Dark memories. Not while I'm here. Else I'll go insane. I am innocent. I am innocent. I _am_ innocent. I repeat this over and over again until I have calmed down and recovered from the shock of the dream. I'm not sure whether it is the altitude of my cell in Azkaban or just the Dementors effect on me.

When I had as much as relaxed as I could here, I turned to look outside, expecting it to be light. But no. It is pitch black.

I can hear yells coming from other cells. Mental laughter can be heard faintly from the distance and the quiet swishing of the Dementors' cloaks as they passed each cell. I stumble toward the barred door, and movement catches my eye. I can see eight figures moving through the night. Well, four of the figures are Dementors; they were escorting four people in tatty robes to cells to the north cells. I glimpsed one woman and two men. The woman's thick dark hair framed her pale complexion. Hooded eyelids covered her dark cold eyes. Her Azkaban clothing covered a thin figure. I recognised her as my cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. A Death Eater. The man had curly, dirty blonde hair, and stood between two of the Dementors, shivering, frequently glancing at his three other captives. One of the other two had dark brown hair, which framed his face, reaching his chin. He looked at ease with his surroundings. The last of them had straw blonde hair, messy and sticking up. Brown eyes looked out from a creamy white face, thin and chiselled, he had the looks of someone who had once been handsome but had been starved and deprived of food and love and comfort.

I looked away, wondering who the other three were and why they had came in. But Bella coming in is no surprise. She always was bad. From the first time I met her when I was seven she has been cruel to everyone she thinks is below her. I close my eyes to remember that first time I ever saw her.

I reversed through time to when I was a young boy. _I was sat in my room wallowing in my sorrows, when Mother's voice came screeching up the stairs. 'OI! YOU! GET DOWN HERE! YOUR COUSINS ARE HERE!' I sighed and tramped down the stairs. At the top of the first flight of stairs I saw ruckus. Trunks, owls and people were all in the entrance hall. The ugly troll's leg coat stand was rolling around, tripping people up. A young girl with a mass of black hair was making her way through the maze of people. 'Move!' she budged Andromeda out of her way to get to the basement kitchen, where Kreacher was making dinner. Andromeda waved at me, 'hey Sirius! Had a good holiday?' she came up to me and gave me a hug. 'Eeww! Getta room!' Bellatrix had come up from the kitchen and sneered at me and Andromeda. A slightly younger girl stood next to her. She had shockingly platinum blonde hair plaited down her back. Her sharp pale blue eyes were narrowed at me menacingly. Even a head shorter than Bellatrix she still was a scary. 'Come on Bellatrix, let's go and have tea.' Narcissa linked her arm through Bellatrix's and they stalked off down to the kitchen. _

My memory faded as the light enlightened over toward the east illuminating the shadows of the cemetery. The outlines of the stones, roughly marking where previous criminals had died here. I'll be there soon. With them. Under the ground. No longer breathing. No! I can't think like that! I must survive. I must kill Pettigrew. He must die. Crushed. Destroyed. But for that, I need to escape. I need to have the fortitude to withstand the Dementors, the pain and the taunts.

I had to escape.

I have to escape.

I will escape.

Somehow.


	4. The Fourth

I don't know how long I had been in this place. Days, months, weeks, years. I don't know. I don't want to ask the date. I'd be scared at how long or short it has been. My mind travels to the past. So far away. When I was free. Free! Oh, how I wish I was! Back then at James and Lily's wedding. I sit down on the cold bench as my mind thankfully delved into the past.

_The clear, blue sky. The butterflies hover over the flowers, the birds sing. The perfect day. A couple of rows of chairs full of people. I could see Lupin in his ragged robes, smiling. I could also see a small scraggly head. Pettigrew. He was smiling too. Just not as wide. He never did. _

_In front of the chairs stood an archway woven with ivy and flowers, roses and yellow honeysuckle, a man with messy black hair stood, slightly in front of the arch on a podium, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Excited, yet nervous. 'You alright?' I asked him, laughing at my best mate's agitation. 'What? Oh yeah. I'm fine.' James half smiled at me. His eyes were looking everywhere and anywhere. 'Good luck.' I whisper as music comes floating down to us from the single pianist at the back of the chairs. I heard him take a deep breath and I stand away to the side as the priest comes up behind James._

_I can hear James' gasp when Lily appears at the end of the aisle with her father. Her red hair flows down her back in delicate curls with a wreath of violet wildflowers on the crown of her head. She is wearing a beautiful white dress; so long it reaches the floor, rustling as it passes over the grass. The strapless dress emphasised her petite figure. In her hands she holds a simple bunch of roses entwined with wildflowers. She starts walking down the aisle at pace with the melody. Whenever she passes someone she enlightens their faces, their clothes, their hair, and their eyes. Her eyes are shiny with happiness as she reaches me. She aims a small smile at me, but she only has eyes for James, I can tell. Before reaching the priest, she gives the flowers to a young girl who is sat near us. She stands on the podium and turns to face James. They reach out their hands to each other as one. They grasp hands lightly, but lovingly. An adoring look is on James' face. A look of affection is on Lily's face. I am alive with happiness for them. The priest motions for quiet and begins '__Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls of Mr. James Potter and Miss. Lily Evans.' My mind wandered to look at the guest in front of me. Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Potter were crying into each other's shoulders. Four little children were playing a little way from the arch and rows of chair, absent minded to the momentous event that was taking place a little way away. Messer's Potter and Evans were sat smiling at their children._

_The priest was talking, 'do you,__ James, take Lily as your lawfully wedded wife?' James looked at the priest then at Lily. 'I do.' He announced. 'And do you, Lily, take James as your lawfully wedded husband?' the priest continued. Lily looked straight at James, with no glance at the priest. 'I do.' She proclaimed. 'Then I declare you bonded for life!' the priest swished his wand over Lily and James' entwined hands and a trail of sparkling stars fluttered down and encircled their hands; glittering golden rings formed on the forth finger of their left hands. A pair of doves fluttered down from the archway, circled the pairs head three times then flew off to the west where the sun was setting over the wedding scene. _

_A burst of applause exploded from the crowd and a huge wave of people enfolded James and Lily in hugs and kisses. I moved away to let family go and congratulate them. I circled around to the back of the archway, took my wand from the pocket of my suit and waved it a couple of times. With a load of loud hisses and spits twenty seven magic fireworks all shimmery and sparkly and glittery exploded into the sky. Lily and James turned in awe. As the fireworks reached their crescendo a glittering, shimmering dove was created in light hues of blues and greys. The dove fluttered once then spiralled up into the sunset. Lily turned around, her eyes full of tears. She noticed me crouching behind the archway and she nudged James on the arm. He turned around to see me and burst into a smile. They rushed over…_

My memories faded, like the gilding on the ancient staircase in my home. Like the bars on this door cracked and crumbling. I could see two figures being escorted in through the gates on the edge of Doggers' Bank by Dementors. There was a ministry official. I can tell by the robes. The other man was a once proud looking man with a twirled goatee. His shaggy hair dark, dark brown. His dirty white robes all scraggy and unkempt. He looked as though he was a runaway. He had the aura of being wanted by the Ministry. Chased. His eyes were jerky and looked everywhere. Flitting to me was snatches of the conversations he was having with the guard. 'Ha! You thought you were safe! But no! The Ministry has found you. You got away from us for 6 months… And two days… Did good you… but we gotcha now! Yes… Have and… trapped here... Ever.' The guard was saying. It was like listening to the radio on a faulty wave length. The wind was carrying it to me. I realised that I had been here for 6 months. 'No! I will not… trapped here! ... I … 'Scape! The Dark Lord … Return…' The prisoner replied viciously. 'KARKAROFF! You will … Silenced... take… to his cell.' The guard shoved him into the Dementors clutches while he yelled and yelled. Hmm… Karkaroff… he was one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. Not a very good one I admit though. He was and still is a coward. As though he'll escape here. It was invariable he was going to escape. Tougher smarter men than him have died trying to escape. No. worse than dying. They have been Kissed. By the Dementors. His soul sucked out. Not fully there but not dead. An empty shell. Discarded.

I sat down and put my head in my hands. I heard a crackling, rustling sound. It seemed to be coming from me. I patted my robes and reached a pocket. Crackle, crinkle. I put my hand in my pocket and felt a sheet of parchment and some fluff. I took out the parchment and unfolded it. It was a letter. I opened the letter and I gasped. It was from Lily. It read:

_Dear Padfoot,_

_Thank you, thank you, for Harry's birthday present! It was his favourite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick, he looked so pleased with himself, I'm enclosing a picture so you can see. You know it only rises about two feet off the ground, but he nearly killed the cat and he smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for Christmas (no complaints there). Of course, James thought it was so funny, says he's going to be a great Quidditch player, but we've had to pack away all the ornaments and makes sure we don't take our eyes off him when he gets going._

_We had a very quiet birthday tea, just us and old Bathilda, who has always been sweet to us and who dotes on Harry. We were so sorry you couldn't come, but the Order's got to come first and Harry's not old enough to know it's his birthday anyway! James is getting a bit frustrated, shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell - also, Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much. Wormy was here last weekend, I thought he seemed down, but that was probably the news about the McKinnons; I cried all evening when I heard._

_Bathilda drops in most days, she's a fascinating old thing with the most amazing stories about Dumbledore, I'm not sure he'd be pleased if I knew! I don't know how much to believe, actually, because it seem incredible that Dumbledore could ever have been friends with Gellert Grindelwald. I think her mind's going, personally!_

_Lots of love,_

_Lily_

I remember receiving that letter, months and months ago. It was a dark time for James and Lily. Trapped in their little house in Godric's Hollow, with only Bathilda Bagshot, the author of _A History _of Magic to talk to. James, the poor bloke, was unable to go out without anyone knowing. Having no job probably didn't help but it was Dumbledore's orders. Most things were, but then again, he knew what he was doing… slightly. Well, more than the rest of us in the Order.

Aaaah, the Order of the Phoenix, we were some of the only people against Voldemort, the only ones trying to make a difference, we were doing okay until the Longbottom's got tortured. Poor Frank and Alice. I heard Bellatrix terrorized Frank first and made Alice watch, to try and gain information. Too bad for her, Alice was a tough cookie, is. Alice is a tough cookie. She stood her ground, before she went too. Bellatrix was never paid back. Until now. Now she is where every single Death Eater should be. Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott. The lot of them. Then maybe, just maybe, just maybe they'll know what it's like to live in fear. Not quite as much as not knowing whether your family will make it back from work, whether you'll have a job to speak of in the first place, whether you will make it home. No, they'd never feel that terror, that confusion. But it would be a start. A start at the very least.


End file.
